Oklahoma Christian Welcomes New Faculty

Thursday, Aug 26, 2010

Oklahoma Christian University is proud to announce the addition of two faculty members for the 2010-11 school year. Rebecca Briley has been hired as an associate professor of English and as coordinator of the composition/rhetoric program in the department of language and literature. Richard Trout has been hired as an associate professor of biology in the college of arts and sciences.

“Oklahoma Christian is excited to have such experienced and creative individuals to join our talented faculty,” said Allison Garrett, vice president of academic affairs. “Dr. Briley’s deep experience and Richard’s proven teaching abilities help enhance two of the strongest programs on our campus.”

Briley holds holds a doctorate in American literature and drama from the University of Kentucky, where she also earned a master’s degree in creative writing and British literature. She was awarded the English-Speaking Union Scholarship by the University of London in 1987, and was awarded the Fulbright Award to teach American literature at Wulfrun University in Wolverhampton, England from 1990-1991.

Briley was also awarded the Metroversity Instructional Award for a women’s prison project called “Piecing Together Our Mother’s Stories.” This writing/quilting project reconnected women prisoners with their mothers at the Pee Wee Valley Correctional Institute for Women in Kentucky from 1999-2000. Kentuckiana Metroversity, Inc., is a consortium of seven institutions of higher education in the Louisville metropolitan area. It offers annually awards to persons who present the best designs for instructional development in college teaching.

While most of Briley’s career has been spent at the University of Kentucky and the Jefferson County Community College, she has also taught at several other universities such as the University of Maryland in Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands; the Department of Defense American Schools in Bitburg, Germany; and Girne American University in the city of Girne, located in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.

Briley has written and produced numerous plays such as Shakespeare’s Sisters, Oprah’s Book Club, Colors of Autumn, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, Somebody Like I Am: Eula Hall’s Story, The Spiral & Arch, Of the Mothers and Scars. In addition, she published a book of poetry entitled Inside Out: Poems from a Workshop.

“Rebecca’s accomplishments and skills will help her department to continue to receive national recognition,” Garrett said.

Oklahoma Christian’s student literary publication, Soundings, was named number one in the nation in 2008 by Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honors Society.

Richard Trout holds a masters degree in natural science from Oklahoma State University. He also did doctoral work in human ecology and environmental health at the OU Health Sciences Center. Trout recently retired from Oklahoma City Community College after 24 years as a professor of biology. He has also taught at Rose State College and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Trout has received numerous awards throughout his career such as the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Oklahoma City Community College in 2007.

In addition, Trout has authored seven action novels for young adults published by Pelican Publishing. His latest book is to be released in January. Two of his novels were selected by National Geographic for the JASON Project curriculum. Trout was also selected as curriculum advisor the project’s “Resilient Planet” ecology section. While at OCCC, he participated in an Eisenhower Foundation grant to teach secondary science teachers new laboratory skills.

“Rick’s excellent teaching reputation and creativity will help our Biology Department continue to have one of the highest placement rates for medical school of any university in the state,” Garrett said.